The Injustice of Forcing Humanity into a Totalitarian Society

716 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: DeMerits Of Totalitarianism

A totalitarian government is place that no person should ever be forced to live in because this type of government controls almost every aspect of its citizens’ lives. The dictators controlling these kinds of government’s take away people’s basic human rights, brainwash kids into showing no loyalty towards their families, and imprison or execute all who might be a remote threat to their party. The government then controls the remaining population with the fear of being arrested by secret state police regardless if they have committed, or planned to commit, a crime. The leaders of these societies have no regard for the wellbeing of anybody but themselves, and once they come to power, it is usually too late to stop what happens next.
A common misconception is that a dictator can never come to power by means that are legal. This is not true. Adolf Hitler, the cold hearted dictator of Germany during World War II, is a near perfect example of how a dictator can form a regime legally. Hitler became a dictator when the Reichstag building was set on fire on February 27, 1933 while he was currently the only leader of Germany. A Dutch communist, Marinus van der Lubbe, was tried and found guilty of the crime. Hitler used the countries fear of communism to suspend the German constitution and take executive powers. Some historians believe that a more likely culprit for the Reichstag fire was a Nazi obeying an order from Hitler himself to set fire to the building allowing him to suspend the German constitution and take the executive powers; however, there is no proof that this occurred. So, from what is provable, Hitler became a dictator by working inside of the law (“Hitler Becomes Chancellor” para.8).
Once a dictator comes to power he will st...

... middle of paper ...

...ents: Milestone Events Throughout History. Ed. Jennifer Stock. Vol. 4: Europe. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2013. Student Resources in Context. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
"Germans Barter for Goods in Response to Hyperinflation, 1923." Historic World Events. Detroit: Gale, 2012. Student Resources in Context. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
"Göring, Hermann." World War II Reference Library. Ed. Barbara C. Bigelow, et al. Vol. 3: Biographies. Detroit: UXL, 1999. 82-91. Student Resources in Context. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Langer, Willian L., comp. Encyclopedia of World History. Vol. 2. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1968. Print.
Mosley, Leonard. On Borrowed Time. New York: Random House, Inc., 1969. Print.
Orwell, George. 1984. New York: New American Library, 1948. Print.
"Political Purges." Gale Student Resources in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2012. Student Resources in Context. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • American Homefront During World War II

    1124 Words  | 3 Pages

    Bard, Mitchell G. The Complete Idiot's Guide to world War II, Macmillan Publishing, New York, New York, 1999

    Read More

  • Recipe for totalitarianism

    1696 Words  | 4 Pages

    Firstly, perhaps no book has linked animals to human counterparts better than Animal Farm. Orwell's beasts serve as a representation of important characters of the World War II era and beyond. For example, Karl Marx, the inventor of the communist movement, was represented by Old Major, the most important animal on the farm until his death. Much like Old Major, Marx was a visionary who dreamed of equality. Old Major states:"Is it not crystal clear, then, comrades, that all the evils of this life of ours spring from the tyranny of human beings? Only get rid of Man, and the produce of our labour would be our own. Almost overnight we could become rich and free. What then must we do? Why, work night and day, body and soul, for the overthrow of the human race! That is my message to you, comrades: Rebellion!"(Orwell, Animal Farm, 30). In addition, he inspired the Russian Social Democratic Leader Party, led by rivals Joseph Stalin and Leon Trostky. Napoleon is represented by Joseph Stalin and much like him, he builds loyalties within the communist party ( pigs and dogs) so that he can overthrow Snowball (Trostky). Snowball displaying similar traits with Trotsky in the fact that they both fight bravely in their respective battles. Trotsky was an important component to the victory in the Russian civil war, Snowball displaying this bravery during the battle of the cowshed. The hens, geese, and sheep that are executed are a representation of the millions who opposed Stalin's, and who are killed banished as a result. The hens and geese are not known for their docile natures, and serve as perfect rebels . As well, the pigs' metamorphosis of their face and behaviour is symbolic of the transition of a government initially for the people, into ...

    Read More

  • The World War II: Air War

    1189 Words  | 3 Pages

    O'Neill, William L. World War II: A Student Companion. New York: Oxford UP, 1999. Print.

    Read More

  • Totalitarian Society In Society

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    You would be lying to yourself if you thought that an attempt of a society based solely on hate has not tried to survive throughout our human history. A totalitarian society is defined as a centralized government that doesn’t tolerate parties with differing opinion and that exercises dictatorial control over many aspects of life. There have been various attempts to design a totalitarian type of government, but all have failed for more than one reason. A society based solely on hate can’t survive due to the obstacles of freethinkers and challenges of forcing an emotion like hate on people would destroy the society slowly from the inside out.

    Read More

  • Totalitarian Societies

    540 Words  | 2 Pages

    In many real and fictionalized totalitarian societies, children live apart from their families. I believe that dictatorial leaders enforced this living arrangement because they don’t want parents to influence their children, to make sure people are loyal to the society, and to maintain everyone equal. They do this so that they have total control over their society.

    Read More

  • 1984 and Brave New World

    1312 Words  | 3 Pages

    Undoubtedly, the thought of living in, or forming a utopian society has flashed through nearly every person’s mind. A few people have even tried to make this ideal dream society a reality. Unfortunately, within the pursuit of these societies the leaders become corrupt and begin to become paranoid with the fear of rebellion. Hundreds of people were murdered during the reigns of Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin in what they considered measures to maintain peace and stability within their respective “perfect” society. One must also consider the hardships that the citizens were forced to endure while living under these oppressive governments.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Shooting An Elephant Imperialism

    1119 Words  | 3 Pages

    A form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator and the citizens only have a few rights and fear the government refers to despotic governments. At time the governments act from the same petty impulses such as those that drive human beings in response to pressures. In paragraph 3 of “Shooting an Elephant,” George Orwell implies this when he says that the incident of shooting the elephant “in a roundabout way was enlightening. It was a tiny incident in itself, but it gave me a better glimpse than I had before of the real nature of Imperialism - the real motive for which despotic governments act.” The government's responsibility is to ensure that its citizen's physiological needs and safety are met. But, at times the government acts out with petty impulses in response to pressure, just as human beings do at times, caused by all of the responsibility they have. Which causes the government to rule as tyrant which resulted from the petty impulses.

    Read More

  • Technology During World War 2

    2322 Words  | 5 Pages

    Schroeder, Michael. “Major Themes in World History.” Encyclopedia of World History. Modern World History Online. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. .

    Read More

  • Totalitarian Society

    561 Words  | 2 Pages

    In many real and fictionalized totalitarian societies, children live apart from their families. There can be many reasons for them doing so. It could be because they want to brainwash them and don’t want their thoughts to be skewed from the belief of their families. And it could also because they don t want them to have any special connections to any other people to replicate a feeling of equality amongst all people. It also causes them to have no sense of individuality. Also, by separating the child at birth it prevents the parent from growing any feelings such as love towards the child. By separating the children from their families at birth it sets them up in a position to be taught without questioning the way the society wants them to believe.

    Read More

  • The Impact the Bauhaus had on Art

    890 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ellis, Elizabeth Gaynor, and Anthony Esler. World History: The Modern Era. Boston: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007. Print.

    Read More

  • Totalitarianism Essay

    1538 Words  | 4 Pages

    For a historian, the 20th century and all the historic events that it encompasses represents a utopia with endless sources of inspiration for the analysis of political figures, events and their consequences. Political figures such as Benito Mussolini of Italy, Adolf Hitler of Germany, Mao Zedong of China and Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union are all names we are familiar with due to the time period that they influenced; this time period after the trauma and atrocities of World War I and the Great Depression led to completely new forms of government in Europe and beyond. These “manifestations of political evil”, commonly known as totalitarian states, should not be considered as mere extensions of already existing political systems, but rather as completely new forms of government built upon terror and ideological fiction. Therefore, this was also a time in which political philosophers such as Hannah Arendt, the author of the standard work on totalitarianism, “Origins of Totalitarianism”, could thrive. When looking at totalitarianism as a political philosophy, two initial questions have to be dealt with: what is totalitarianism and what kind of effect it had on countries ruled by totalitarian regimes. The reasons for its occurrence have briefly been mentioned above, although there are much deeper ideological, social and economic reasons including imperialism and anti-Semitism. In order to fully understand it, we must also contrast it to other political systems like authoritarianism and dictatorship, which are similar to a certain extent, but lack crucial elements that are in the core of totalitarian ideology. Out of the many examples of totalitarian regimes in the 20th century, Nazi Germany, Communist China and the Soviet Union stan...

    Read More

  • Essay On Nazi Germany A Totalitarian State

    2864 Words  | 6 Pages

    In modern history, there have been some governments, which have successfully, and others unsuccessfully carried out a totalitarian state. A totalitarian state is one in which a single ideology is existent and addresses all aspects of life and outlines means to attain the final goal, government is ran by a single mass party through which the people are mobilized to muster energy and support. In a totalitarian state, the party leadership maintains monopoly control over the governmental system, which includes the police, military,

    Read More

  • Causes and Effects of the Protestant Reformation

    1175 Words  | 3 Pages

    Howe, Helen, and Robert T. Howe. A World History: Ancient and Medieval Worlds. Volume 1. White Plains, NY: Longman, 1992. 533.

    Read More

  • Nazim as Totalitarianism

    1818 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Oxford Dictionary defines totalitarianism as ‘a system of government that is centralized and dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the state’ . A totalitarian regime possesses power over affairs of the state and its inhabitants under one party and bears no opposition. A key attribute of a totalitarian government is that is looks to shape the mind and actions of society through determination, philosophy, and in general, force.

    Read More

  • Religion and Civilization

    1234 Words  | 3 Pages

    Duiker, William J. , and Jackson J. Spielvogel. World History . 6th. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Pub Co, 2010. print.

    Read More

More about The Injustice of Forcing Humanity into a Totalitarian Society

Open Document